Quick answer: Pickleball doesn’t have a Ryder Cup yet — but it’s building one in front of us. In under three years the sport has gone from its first-ever international team event (the APP Atlantic Cup in March 2024) to an eight-region professional Nations Cup (won by Team USA on November 1, 2026) to an amateur Nations Cup launching in February 2027. Country-vs-country team pickleball has gone from novelty to fixture faster than almost anything else in the sport.
The 30-second version
- March 2024: the APP Atlantic Cup — the first international team event in pro pickleball. Team USA beat Team Europe 5–4 in Miami.
- Nov 2026: the MLP Nations Cup — eight regional teams, Team USA champions.
- Feb 2027: an amateur Nations Cup for rated recreational players.
- The pattern: team formats, national pride, comeback drama — the same ingredients that made golf’s Ryder Cup and tennis’s Laver Cup must-watch.
It started in Miami, in 2024
The first time professional pickleball tried country-vs-country was the APP Atlantic Cup, held March 20–24, 2024, at the Miami Beach Convention Center alongside the APP Miami Open. It pitted Team USA against Team Europe across singles, gender doubles and mixed, and it delivered exactly the drama team formats are supposed to: Europe led 4–2 after two days, then Team USA swept Sunday to win 5–4, clinching on a mixed-doubles win from Ava Kalist and Richard Livornese Jr. It was the proof of concept — national pride turns individual pros into a rooting interest.
Then it went global — and bigger
Two and a half years later, Major League Pickleball scaled the idea up. The MLP Nations Cup, October 30–November 1, 2026, fielded eight regional teams — USA, Canada, Australia, Latin America, two Asia teams and two Europe teams — in a round robin into a single-elimination bracket. Team USA went 5–0 and beat Latin America 3–0 in the final. Where the Atlantic Cup was USA-vs-Europe, this was a genuine world field, and it kicked off the Pickleball World Championships the next day.
Next, the amateurs get one too
The clearest sign this is becoming permanent: it’s trickling down. DUPR’s Minor League Pickleball is launching an amateur Nations Cup in February 2027, with 21 countries already confirmed and rated recreational players representing their nations by DUPR division. When a format jumps from the pros to the rec level this fast, it isn’t a one-off — it’s an institution forming.
So is a “pickleball Ryder Cup” really coming?
Golf’s Ryder Cup and tennis’s Laver Cup work because the team-and-country frame makes people care about matches they’d otherwise ignore. Pickleball now has every ingredient: a proven pro event, a world-sized field, national captains, comeback storylines, and an amateur tier feeding the base. What it doesn’t have yet is a single, settled, recurring flagship with a fixed home and a rival everyone circles on the calendar. That’s the last piece — and on this trajectory, it’s a matter of when, not if.
FAQ
Does pickleball have a Ryder Cup?
Not a single settled one yet, but it’s close. There are already three country-vs-country team events: the APP Atlantic Cup (2024), the MLP Nations Cup (2026) and an amateur Minor League Nations Cup launching in 2027.
What was the first international team event in pro pickleball?
The APP Atlantic Cup, held March 20–24, 2024, in Miami. Team USA beat Team Europe 5–4 after trailing 4–2 with a day to play.
Who won the MLP Nations Cup?
Team USA won the inaugural MLP Nations Cup, going 5–0 and beating Latin America 3–0 in the November 1, 2026 final in Dallas.
Can amateurs play in a Nations Cup?
Yes — DUPR’s Minor League Pickleball is launching an amateur Nations Cup in February 2027, open to rated recreational players by DUPR division.
Keep up with the pro game: see how Team USA won the Nations Cup, read what Major League Pickleball is, or browse the latest in Pro Corner.
